ATLANTA — It’s time for the Mets to face reality. With the trade deadline less than a month away, the Mets are positioned to be sellers for the first time since 2023. While the team is still trying to keep up a positive front, they have a double-digit deficit in the standings. It would take a Herculean effort and a historic run to reach a Wild Card spot before Aug. 3.

Quietly, the team has started to acknowledge that they’re out of time.

Their top guys like Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are locked up long-term, which leaves the veterans in the bullpen as prime trade targets. It’s unfortunate, considering how good they’ve been for the Mets this season, and how close the group is as a whole.

“It’s just the reality of the situation,” left-hander Brooks Raley told the Daily News on Monday at Truist Park. “Not that we can predict anything or know what’s going to happen, but obviously there’s some awareness of the situation.”

Raley is the longest-tenured pitcher on the team, having been with the Mets since 2023. He’s also been a leader for some of the younger pitchers in the bullpen throughout his tenure, which is no surprise given his demeanor. The 38-year-old is rarely rattled, often in a good mood, and easily able to put outings behind him.

The back end of the bullpen has been remarkably consistent this season, typically starting with Raley or Minter, then right-handers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams closing out games. Right-hander Huascar Brazobán is also having a strong season and can pitch multiple innings, a valuable trait when chasing a playoff spot late in the year.

“They’re professional, they know what they need to do to be great every day, and they take their job incredibly seriously,” said interim manager Andy Green. “To see them on the mound with the confidence and conviction they throw every pitch, I think that leads to really good performances.”

Weaver will certainly garner a ton of interest from other teams. The setup man hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 30, a remarkable streak that makes Williams’s job easier in the ninth inning. The two former Yankees closers are signed beyond this season, with Williams through 2028 and Weaver through 2027. But Weaver’s team-friendly $22 million deal and his ERA below 2.00 make him an especially attractive candidate.

Starter Freddy Peralta will also be a candidate, though it’s not clear what the Mets could get for him in a down season. Clay Holmes, who threw a bullpen Monday in Atlanta, will garner plenty of interest as well.

Losing so many bullpen pieces will undoubtedly hurt. Relief pitching has been the one bright spot in an otherwise dark season. Raley and Weaver have become golf buddies this season, Williams and Weaver know each other from last season with the Yankees, and Minter and right-hander Austin Warren have fit right into the group.

While the front office has continued to say they will give the team a chance to go on a winning streak this month, industry sources have said the team is planning on a deadline sell-off. There won’t be much of a market until after the draft next weekend since all 30 teams are fully immersed in draft prep at the moment.

This month will be the bullpen’s last stand. It’s not ideal, but it’s where the Mets find themselves less than a month from the trade deadline.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Jorge Polanco (Achilles bursitis) hit his second homer in three games with Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. The switch-hitter is “improving,” but the Mets are not ready to put a timetable on a return. There is, however, a timeline on his rehab clock, but the Mets could pull him off of this assignment like they did the first time around if he’s unable to return once he runs out of time.

“He’s trying to see the ball and find his timing,” Green said. “Home runs are nice. I think it was a hanging slider that he hit out of the ballpark. I think he’s improving and moving around well, from the reports I get. I don’t have a return date for him at this point in time, but he’s progressing, and today, obviously, is a scheduled off day throughout minor league baseball.”

The Mets don’t seem concerned with whether he progresses to playing on back-to-back days in the minor leagues. He’ll be available as a pinch-hitter on his off days, which could be a way he gets into consecutive games.